CrossFit is a revolutionary fitness training methodology gaining massive popularity worldwide. It has become the principal fitness programme of many police departments, military academies, fire departments, sports teams and special ops units including the US Navy Seals and Marine Corps. CrossFit delivers fitness that is extensive, broad and inclusive. You will not focus exclusively on one particular aspect of fitness but rather develop capacity across a wide variety of movements and time domains. In general, combat, survival, work, sports, and life reward this type of fitness and punish the specialist.

In a nutshell, CrossFit is continuously varied functional movement executed at high intensity, producing athletes who are capable of a wide range of physical skills and abilities. It employs tried and true exercise methods used for years by elite athletes, professional sports teams, and military institutions for one simple reason: these methods produce genuine, outstanding “real world” functional fitness and ability.

What is Fitness?

Getting fit using CrossFit methods are singularly focused on guiding participants towards genuine athleticism. Not simply the appearance of athleticism. Many folks begin an exercise regimen to “get in shape” but are often mislead into thinking that simple cardiovascular exercise and isolated resistance training performed on machines or with weights will deliver outstanding fitness and a memorable physique. Your exercise should reflect the demands of your life, sport, and work.

If you join a standard CrossFit club you will most likely not find mirrors, machines or magazines; but real life activity; lifting, throwing, running, rowing, jumping, climbing carrying, pushing, pulling and balancing. You are going to find methods for body weight exercises, medicine ball work, plyometrics, kettlebell work, Olympic weightlifting, strongman training, gymnastics and rope work.

Hard work?

Possibly harder than you’ve ever worked. There are no shortcuts with CrossFit is you want the best results. Each workout is without a doubt going to be demanding and will require your full resources and attention. Exercise performed inconsistently without intensity or focus will not yield the sort of results you seek. When you lift you lift heavy, when you run you run fast, all performances are measured, data is gathered, and technique is constantly scrutinized. So whether you’re working hard to perfect some aspect of technique, or to squeeze out that extra ounce of work output, you’ll always find that your next big challenge is only as far away as your next visit to the gym.

For Anyone?

The methods in CrossFit are universally scalable, meaning that you can participate at any age or fitness level. The Olympian and the grandparent have the same functional needs, the main difference is degree. All that’s needed is an adjustment in load, scale movement, and intensity modification to suit the fitness level and ability for each individual. You wouldn’t give a 70-year-old the same weight to squat with as a rugby player, but both need to squat in some way due to the value of this movement for both athletic performance and maintaining basic independence. This squat is just one of a host movements which are so universally valuable yet rarely taught properly to any but the most advanced athletes.

There are always improvements to be gained through, managing progression, and perfection of technique, increasing intensity, honing psychological approach, and support and encouragement. You should also take the responsibility for your safety seriously. A proper coaching of CrossFit methods should involve close monitoring of participants either one-on-one or in a group setting. Always different.

Continual Variation. Workouts are rarely repeated, meaning that you never adjust and simply go through the motions. Being prepared for the unknown and the unknowable is what is valued and this reflects a well-rounded athlete. This approach also has tremendous advantages for maintaining interest, fun, and enthusiasm as well as avoiding overuse problems such as injury and fatigue.

Community: Becoming involved with CrossFit in any way means you are part of both a local and a worldwide community of like-minded people where you have the opportunity to share information, ask questions, receive advice, keep in touch with events, make friends, and share your progress. For many this proves invaluable for keeping fun and motivation.